Birthday Cake
by Gumnut
Summary: Have a piece of birthday cake.


Birthday Cake  
  
For Elizabeth  
  
By Gumnut   
  
14 Oct 2003  
  
Jack looked at the cake, its candles slowly dripping wax on to the pale pink icing. Why Daniel had picked pink, he would never know, but it was too late to do anything about it.  
  
Lifting the platter with care he walked into the briefing room. Instantly the obligatory singing began.  
  
"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you."  
  
He really didn't like that song much. It was one of those that always ended up being played over and over in your head until you were so sick of it you were prepared to get it surgically removed.  
  
He slipped the cake on to the table and stood back. Various well wishers moved forward still singing that blasted song. He tried his best to feel cheerful, but for some reason nothing he tried worked.  
  
This was Carter's idea. He hadn't agreed with it, it brought up far too many bad memories for him, but he had been overruled and preparations had begun.  
  
Daniel had been put in charge of the cake, hence the pink icing. Sometimes the archeologist completely baffled O'Neill. All those zillions of neurons hard at work in his brain, thinking things Jack's head had trouble spelling much less understanding. But give him a social situation and those neurons seemed to go on vacation. He had several times in the past called Daniel a geek. As unfair as that statement had been on any occasion, part of the stereotype did apply to the man. While his brain excelled academically, socially that same academia provided a barrier to common conversation.  
  
Hah, working at the SGC provided a barrier to common conversation. What do you talk about other than your work and life when both are mostly highly classified?  
  
So combined with his natural inability to socialize, and the restriction of his employment situation, Daniel did not socialize well. Jack had done his best to improve the situation, exposing the young archeologist to beer, barbecues, and pizza on a regular basis, and he was improving, slowly. But every now and again something would come up that would completely baffle Daniel, and in turn his reaction would do the same to O'Neill.  
  
Pink icing on Teal'c's birthday cake. Aye carumba.  
  
The song was now into the 'he's a jolly good fellow' stage that everyone seems to know half of, but need to fumble through the rest.  
  
Carter's voice echoed above the others, the grin on her face breaking into laughter. He knew she meant well. God, he meant well as well, but this little party had so much more meaning than just a birthday for his friend in arms. He wasn't surprised that his teammates had missed it. He had almost missed it himself. And when Sam had come to him with the idea, he had initially liked it, helped plan it in fact. But as time wore on and he realised the significance of this day, he had gone to Hammond and requested a halt to the proceedings.  
  
The General hadn't agreed with him. Said he was overly worried. Said Teal'c would take it in the spirit that it was meant. O'Neill wasn't so sure.  
  
Finally he looked at Teal'c. The warrior stood tall and silent in the midst of the fray, eyebrows in full working order. O'Neill wasn't sure of his expression. Wasn't sure how Teal'c was taking in the situation.  
  
All he knew was how he himself was reacting, and it was not good.  
  
O'Neill worked his way to the back of the crowd, wondering if it was his own feelings that had clouded his judgment in this concern. It was only a birthday party, for goodness sake.  
  
Making a discreet exit, he left the room.  
  
The rest of the base was oddly silent, most personnel had been invited to the festivities, and he found the silence calming. Deciding a pile of paperwork may provide a slight distraction, he made for his office. Not once did he admit to himself that he was hiding like an ostrich in a sand hill. There were perfectly rational explanations for everything and this was just one of them.  
  
**********  
  
Teal'c found the human ritual of birthday cake highly unusual. For starters, it was pink, a most unseemly colour. Secondly, it involved a great deal of singing, an act usually reserved for religious ritual. The fact that Daniel Jackson had the singing voice of a mal-tuned shock grenade did nothing to improve the situation.  
  
He received many congratulations and well wishes that afternoon. Many of the base personnel whom he had only met on occasion came to speak with him, and his observations of human interaction did much to improve his knowledge of the social customs on this planet.  
  
Since his abrupt arrival here a year ago, he had stumbled often in manner and courtesy as he learnt the fine arts needed to interact with these Tau'ri. He had been baffled on many occasion, wondering specifically why certain things were done, but with the help of his friends on SG-1 he had found himself becoming a member not only of the team, but of the society of Planet Earth.  
  
O'Neill had been his devoted teacher. Teal'c almost smiled as he remembered his first introduction to pizza. O'Neill's instructions had been very specific. There were certain requirements in the ordering process, certain demands to be made concerning delivery time, and, of course, very particular rituals regarding how the delicacy was eaten.   
  
O'Neill had gone to such lengths, and had been so excited to show Teal'c this particular ritual, Teal'c hadn't had the heart to tell him that he didn't actually like pizza. He found the tomato paste far to acidic for his taste, and the 'crust' as O'Neill called it, was so dry sometimes that it resembled Porvak leather on a hot day.  
  
Teal'c still ate pizza, though, it was worth the happiness it gave O'Neill.  
  
He knew it was a miniscule thing in the tapestry of life, but in O'Neill, Teal'c saw a man who had been through much - much like himself - and had little to smile about. So if Teal'c had to eat some small thing he didn't like that much to see a good friend happy, he would do it. Besides O'Neill said it was good for the body.  
  
Speaking of O'Neill, where was he? Teal'c gazed amongst the crowd looking for his friend.  
  
General Hammond was speaking with Sergeant Siler, relating a funny story by the laughter on the technician's face. His eyes tracked and found Major Carter speaking earnestly with Daniel Jackson.  
  
The archeologist caught his eye and nudging Major Carter, they came over.  
  
"Enjoying yourself, Teal'c?"  
  
Teal'c bowed his head slightly. "I am most honoured to have my day of birth celebrated in the manner of the Tau'ri. Thank you for organising it."  
  
"No, problem, Teal'c. We just wanted to show our appreciation for all you've done for us over the past year."  
  
"The feeling is mutual, Major Carter." He let a smile curve his lips. Major Carter was the most unusual woman he had ever met. The mixture of brilliant scientist and soldier baffled him with its complexity, but as with the other members of the SG-1, he had learnt to trust his life to this mercurial woman.  
  
On the other hand Daniel Jackson was one he understood clearly. Daniel Jackson stood for all that should be. All those ideals that he himself had dreamed of whilst under the hard hand of Apophis. All those ideals that, even under the benign hands of the Tau'ri, still could not always stand the glare of daylight. Those same ideals that he as a soldier had had to compromise for the good of those they protected.  
  
Those same ideals, that once broken, kept O'Neill up at night staring into the campfire when he thought everyone else was sleeping. Teal'c knew they haunted O'Neill, because they haunted him, too.  
  
Daniel Jackson, undaunted, kept those ideals close to his heart, and regardless of the situation, stood by them.  
  
It was both interesting and painful to watch O'Neill interact with Daniel Jackson on those occasions they clashed. O'Neill would argue, even though his word was the last word in any situation. The truth was that often O'Neill wasn't arguing with Daniel Jackson at all.  
  
He was arguing with himself.  
  
Teal'c knew O'Neill held most of those same ideals himself. He just didn't have the luxury of following them blindly.  
  
So when those ideals were compromised, they haunted him.  
  
And it was those ideals that Teal'c, First Prime to Apophis, had seen in those pleading eyes on that fateful day. It was those ideals that he now followed to the ends of the galaxy.  
  
And O'Neill was the man that led him.  
  
Where was O'Neill?  
  
Teal'c suddenly realised Major Carter and Daniel Jackson were staring at him.  
  
"Are you okay, Teal'c?" Major Carter looked a little worried.  
  
"I am fine. I was just considering where Colonel O'Neill might be."  
  
Daniel Jackson turned, looking around the room. "He was here a moment ago."  
  
Teal'c decided to make a polite exit. "If you will excuse me, I would like to go and locate O'Neill. I will return shortly."  
  
Teal'c made his way through the happy crowd, a little concerned at his commanding officer's absence. It was unlike O'Neill to miss a social event. The man revelled in them.  
  
As he made his way to the door, he considered possible reasons for an absent O'Neill. Eventually he hit upon a possibility. If that was so, then he must go and address the problem at its source and show the man that he was mistaken.  
  
Grabbing a plate on the way out, Teal'c left his birthday party in search of the man he followed.  
  
**********  
  
Jack O'Neill stared at the piece of paper in front of him and willed himself to cheer up.  
  
He had been wrong, paperwork was not enough to distract him. It had been a vain hope in any case, and illustrated his pathetic need to escape his own thoughts.  
  
For crying out loud, Jack, it is only a birthday party. Most people are happy at parties. Stop your maudlin.  
  
He fiddled with his pen, skipping it across the requisition form in front of him, jumping when a knock came at his door.  
  
"Come."  
  
Teal'c walked in, a piece of birthday cake in hand.  
  
"Shouldn't you be at your party?" O'Neill almost felt petulant.  
  
"Indeed."  
  
Jack looked up at him, amusement in his voice. "Useful word that."  
  
Teal'c smiled. "Indeed."  
  
The pen was thrown lazily on to the desk as O'Neill smiled and leaned back in his chair. "Okay, Teal'c, what's up? Come down here to torture me with your sharp wit?"  
  
Teal'c grabbed a chair and sat in front of his desk. The plate of cake was deposited on top of the same requisition form that had suffered a beating by Jack's pen a moment before. "I have come in search of you."  
  
"Looking for me, huh? Well, you've found me, what can I do for you?"  
  
"I had wondered why you were not at the celebration."  
  
O'Neill felt the smile leave his lips. "I'm sorry, Teal'c, but birthday parties are not my favourite places at the best of times."  
  
"May I ask why?"  
  
O'Neill bowed his head slightly and looked up at Teal'c through his eyebrows. "It's nothing serious, Teal'c, just a few bad memories."  
  
"You have many bad memories, O'Neill. As do I."  
  
"Signature of a life as a soldier, Teal'c."  
  
"That I am aware of, however, I was concerned that you may be considering the anniversary of another event that occurred on this day as a reason to not celebrate."  
  
O'Neill lifted his head and looked his friend in the eye. "What do you mean?"  
  
Teal'c held up a hand. "This day marks the anniversary of three important events in my life. Two of them you know, one of them you do not."  
  
Jack stared at his friend's hand. Three?  
  
"Today is the anniversary of my birth, a positive event in any culture. But also today is the anniversary of my rebirth at the hands of one weary captured Tau'ri Colonel I found in the dungeons of a Goa'uld Palace.  
  
"I choose to celebrate this day for those two reasons."  
  
O'Neill looked into the calm dark eyes of the man who had thrown his life away at a few simple words uttered by a man who had been about to die. He still marvelled at the strength of his friend, and wondered how he had managed to gain his loyalty. "I had not been sure you would want to celebrate today, Teal'c. That freedom was a two edged sword. You lost a lot that day."  
  
"But I gained much."  
  
"You lost your family, Teal'c. I know what that feels like." The words echoed in his memory, and he suddenly realised the source of a lot of his current depression. For God's sake, O'Neill, stop feeling sorry for yourself.  
  
He drew in a deep breath.  
  
Teal'c was staring at him.  
  
"Indeed, I did lose much on that day, and I mourn the missed opportunities." Teal'c folded his hands on the desk in front of him. "The third anniversary that occurs today is the implantation of my primta."  
  
"Oh, god, Teal'c, why didn't you say something?"   
  
Teal'c held up a hand to forestall him. "It is tradition that a Jaffa celebrate the day of his implantation rather than the day of his birth. It is incidental that, for myself, the two days coincide."  
  
"I'm sorry, Teal'c." Damn it, he knew he should have put his foot down and stopped this whole thing.  
  
"O'Neill, I would like you to know something." Jack sat up a little straighter, focusing his attention. "Today is to me, a day of both terrible and wonderful things. Today I was born, today my freedom was taken away, today I was offered a choice, today I made a decision that changed my life but took my family, and today I have to live with it all. But, O'Neill, today I choose to celebrate those things that make myself who I am. I choose what to celebrate, and I choose the good, because much good has occurred on this day." Teal'c smiled slightly. "Jack, today is my birthday. Eat up, drink, and be merry." He reached over and pushed the piece of cake, dripping in pink icing, closer to O'Neill.  
  
Jack looked down at the cake, thinking. A small smile came to his lips. "Daniel does have a lousy taste in colours, doesn't he?"  
  
"The colour is most unusual." Teal'c reached over and dipped his finger in the icing. "It does however, taste quite yummy."  
  
He looked up at Teal'c, the innocent look on his friend's face dissolving away any remaining depression, as he burst into laughter.  
  
Teal'c raised an eyebrow in apparent confusion, causing Jack to laugh even harder.  
  
Finally, laughter spent, Jack reached for the slice of cake only to have it snatched from his reach. "Wha-?"  
  
Teal'c stood. "Will you not attend my party?" He waved the cake around suggestively.  
  
Jack grinned. "Of course, Teal'c." He stood and opened the door for the Jaffa. "After you." He gestured.  
  
"Unlikely, O'Neill, I believe I should follow you." His eyebrow quivering, as he attempted to hold a straight face.  
  
"Oh, yeah, okay, right." Jack smirked, marching out the door.  
  
Teal'c followed him.  
  
As Jack realised he always would.  
  
***********  
  
FIN. 


End file.
